Worcester man held on $100K bail after threatening officers

A Providence Street man was held on $100,000 cash bail Friday on charges of threatening to kill several police officers and a probation officer.

The threats were allegedly made by Fernando Reyes, 49, of 44 Providence St., Apt. 3, when he was arrested Thursday on warrants charging him with violating a restraining order Wednesday at 18 Uplands Garden Drive and violating the terms of his probation.

According to court documents, members of the Worcester Police Department gang unit found Mr. Reyes shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday at a laundromat at 286 Pleasant St. and took him into custody on the warrants.

While waiting for a patrol wagon to bring him to police headquarters, Mr. Reyes allegedly threatened several police officers, saying the next time he saw them he was going to “take out a cop.” He allegedly went on to say that once he got his hands on a firearm, he was going to “take out the probation officer and judge” as well, according to court documents.

Evidence concerning the alleged threats was presented Friday to a Worcester County grand jury, which returned indictments charging Mr. Reyes with six counts each of threatening to commit a crime (to kill) and intimidation of a witness or juror.

The alleged victims are listed in the indictments as police officers Terrence Gaffney, Nate Reando, Christopher Panarello and Thomas Duffy, and Lauren Hanley, a probation officer in Worcester Superior Court.

Mr. Reyes was arraigned Friday on the charges in Worcester Superior Court and entered not-guilty pleas. Judge James R. Lemire set Mr. Reyes' bail at $100,000 cash without prejudice after Assistant District Attorney Daniel J. Bennett said he and defense lawyer Daniel W. Cronin had agreed on that amount.

Judge Lemire held Mr. Reyes without bail on an alleged violation of probation and continued his case to Feb. 7.

Earlier Friday, Mr. Reyes was arraigned in Central District Court on charges of violating a restraining order and two counts of threatening to commit a crime (murder).

According to documents on file in that case, Mr. Reyes stands accused of making several threatening telephone calls to a woman who obtained a restraining order against him and members of the woman's family in Puerto Rico.

Judge David B. Locke set $40,000 cash bail and continued the case to Feb. 7.